Affordable Home Security?

According to a recent study completed by Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, home without a security system are three (3) times more likely to be burglarized than a home with a security system.

This study ruled out location, lack of lighting, etc. and noted that residences that did not have a security system, either wired or wireless were three times as likely to be robbed, vandalized or broken into. With the current economic climate, it really makes sense to think about purchasing a security system. While I am loath to recommend the $99.00 ADT install, which is just one keypad, front and rear door sensors, a motion detector and control box along with a three (3) year $35.99 per month monitoring fee, now may be the perfect time to speak with a local licensed security dealer about a security system that really protects your home.

A properly install security system, along with a review of your exterior can provide peace of mind, safety and energy management. Right now, I wold wager that you go and turn on a light in the front and possibly the rear of your home. You may have a motion light or a photo cell control "night light" positioned on your home for safety and security. While this may provide you with a little peace of mind, the determined thief may be watching your home, making notes of when you leave and when you come home, as well as noting your lights, any large trees and landscaping covering a possible entrance, any dark corners or areas that are not viewable from the street or next door neighbors. Yes, I have heard that home security is only as strong as a piece of glass, but with a monitored professionally installed system, most would be thieves will look a more opportune locations before attacking the monitored home.

A professionally installed system can reduce insurance costs, can control lights and HVAC, thus saving you money and add safety and security to your family. A professionally installed system can provide many additional benefits depending on your needs and requirements. While monitoring costs vary greatly from one provide to another, make sure you ask what is included in the monitoring fee and how long it lasts.

Yes, Security systems can be affordable, if you do the math, lower insurance costs, peace of mind and knowing that you are reducing the odds that you and your family will become a victim of crime.

3D TV's Hype or a Good Investment

All the trade magazines, blogs and even CES were spouting off about the next big thing, 3D televisions. However, with known issues such as HDMI bandwidth, non standardized glasses, and switching problems with existing A/V receivers, you would think that many in this space would be advocating a wait and see approach. Unfortunately, they are not!

Here at Elite Systems Solutions, we are advising our clients to wait. While we do believe that 3D is interesting and has some legs, until we can drop the glasses, understand and integrate with existing A/V equipment and have a good content base, these are just expensive pieces of electronics. How many times can you watch Avator before you are burned out? Yes, all the studios are bringing additional releases out in 3D, but unit we have a good inventory of content we will continue to advise a wait and see approach. Even with DirectTV planning three (3) channels of 3D viewing, it is not there yet. Plus, you will need to not only purchase a 3D television, but at this time, additional glasses for each member to watch. Plus, these glasses are not universal, so you can't go next door and watch an event or movie with the neighbors unless their system is the same as yours, so additional expense into spare glasses.

We believe that in the near future manufacturers will develop true 3D screens that will allow the experience without the glasses. Yes, we are a few years away, but do you really ant to be the first adopters with the out of date system?

Well, what do you think? Is all the hype for real? Have you experienced the 3D in your home, neighbors? We could be wrong, be I think I will take a more wait and see approach.

JUst my 2 cents.

Ric

"bringing technology home"

Customer Service

We here a lot of things today about serving the customer. Really this should be first and foremost in the minds of each service organization. We at Elite Systems Solutions believe in listening to our customers and then responding with accurate, true and detailed responses to their questions or statements.

I recently was privileged to be named CEA's Mark of Excellence' 2010 Leadership Award recipient. This award is given to the individual who has made a significant contribution to the Installed Home Technology space over the previous twelve months. I was honored to be chosen. In my remarks and in published remarks on CEPro.com's website I made the statement that I believe in telling the client the truth, even if it costs us the work. I can not do everything imaginable and even if I could, most of my clients couldn't pay the price it was require.

It is time that we in the installation community began to listen to the customer, not promise the moon and deliver what is promised. I want to raise the level of our reputation, not continue down the path that make each of us look like we only are in it for a big payoff.

What do you think? Shouldn't we under promise and over deliver? Shouldn't we be honest with what we can provide? Write me and tell me what you think.

As always,

...bringing technology home!

Smart Meters

Last Friday, on my way to the airport, I heard the Wall Street Journal Report on Smart Metering.  This "new" technology is going to allow Power Supply Company and home owners have more information about energy usage and allow them to shut down high usage appliances during peak energy demands.

Well, I have had a "Smart Meter" on my home for about two (2) years.  Mid Ohio Energy Cooperative began installing these meters, which allow them to send usage information back to the cooperative each month.  But before that, I have had a device on my electric water heater for more than ten years that allowed the cooperative to shut down my water heater via radio control during high peak demand.  This is not new technology, just technology that is now coming to the for front.  It is very interesting that those of us that live in the country, have had energy management devices for many years, because our user owned cooperatives wanted to save us money, reduce demand during high rate and peak usage times, thus again saving energy and money.  Now, it seems that everyone is interested in these items.

What I find very interesting is during a Google search in the Lima Ohio area for searches for Home Automation, Energy Management, Home theater, Lighting Control etc., there were very few searches, in fact, Google listed them as 0 when reporting their searches.  Even widening the coverage area, produced only a 4 to 5 for any of the above keywords.

Take one example, lighting control.  If the home owner would just install inexpensive wall box dimmers, they could save energy and reduce their electric bill.  At the web site http://www.digitaltips.org/networking/lightingControl.asp,  a complete listing of different lighting control options is available.

Elite Systems Solutions has many options to allow the home owner the ability to control their energy usage.  What do you think?  Let me know

...bringing Technology home!

Why do the Experts leave out Home Automation Control in discussions on Energy Management

I received my monthly Electrical Cooperative magazine last week.  A two page article was written concerning the first of its kind energy-efficient residential housing workshop in Ohio.  After reading the article twice, I noticed again how so much time and energy is taken in talking about HVAC Seer ratings and Energy Star lighting and appliances, but no one is talking about controlling any of it with an over arching Home Automation system that sheds loads, turns back the thermostat and turns off all the lighting when away during the day and only lights up certain fixtures at night when away.

Having a 90% efficient furnace, heat pump or geo-thermal heating plant is great, but if the system is not being properly controlled, we are still wasting energy.  Since we are still using old technology to heat water, i.e. large tank, with electrodes or gas burner that constantly cycles off and on to keep the water at a constant temperature, we are still wasting energy!  Why do we need for the water heater to keep the water at a set temperature overnight?  Even if you take your shower in the morning, with a automation system you could bring the water heater on line an hour before you need it, but during times away and when not in use, shed that load!   Ohio State Professor Gary Kinzel, stated that homes use 20 percent of the total energy consumed by our nation.   He lists 17 percent of that to make hot water.

Energy Star has alisted lighting fixture requirement, i.e. 6 out of 10 fixtures must be energy Star rated, that is have the rating and use a CFL for the light source.  But no where is controlling that fixture addressed.  Yes, it has a CFL, but it was left on for sixteen hours, ten of them with no one at home, so I was using "less" energy because of the CFL?   How about a system that turns it off when not in use?  How much would that save?  No one seems to have listed in their checklists for improvement, harvesting day light, proper use of dimming and timers on fans.  

Today, we have the ability and the products to not only control the use of energy efficiently, but to show our clients, with a real time display what they are using and how with control and lifestyle changes they can have a strong impact on their energy use and carbon foot print.

What do you think?  Are we missing the boat by not including Home Automation in the discussion? Let me know what you think.

Ric

...bringing technology home!

Multi-Room Audio for 50+ Active Adults

Entertainment options for the 50+ Active Adult client is becoming a hot topic.  As the recession deepens, many of our 50+ Adult communities have slowed in new construction and we are finding  many of these prospective clients are now cocooning or staying in their existing homes.  As such, many are now exploring expanding their at home entertainment options.  One of the more promising option is Multi-Room Audio/Video (MRAV). 

As the Boomers begin to explore their entertainment options, Elite Systems Solutions can provide a wide variety of systems to bring audio and video throughout their homes.  Image being able to listen to your entire music collection from any room in your home, including the deck or patio and garage, being alerted to impending inclement weather, though a pre-programed weather radio alert, thus giving you extra time to prepare.  Being able to eliminate duplicate radios, receivers, tape decks, and CD plays to save space and energy!  Think of the convenience of having all your devices in one central, easy to find location.  Thats the beauty of a Multi-Room Audio Video system.

With a Multi-Room solution from Elite Systems Solutions, you can have complete control of your music, videos, and pictures from any room in the home, control volume, content and source to individual rooms fro,m any keypad and display song title; artist and album cover art on each rooms keypad.  The system can be over arching, thus playing in party mode, the same source through out the house, but giving you room by room control of volume, or each room can become an independent zone, so you can have the all news radio station playing in the den, while your spouse enjoys a selection fro your CD collection in the kitchen and your grandson can plug their iPod or MP3 player into the dedicated port in the bedroom, giving each space individual control of content and volume.

Elite Systems SOlutions can design a multi-room system to fit your home or budget.  Our custom integrators can create a seamless fit into your home, complete with speakers and control using your existing source equipment.  We can provide upgrades to include Media center source for your existing content, satellite and internet radio, and various control options including touch pads, touch screens and remote control.   Elite Systems Solutions can deliver a custom look and feel to your entertainment experience.

To give you a hands on experience of how a multi-room audio/video system functions, point your browser to www.digitaltips.org/flash/MRAV_demo.html to experience "A Day in The Life" of the Johnson family.  This site also has links to a planning checklist, and other information about installed technology available today.

What do you think?  Have any questions or comments?  Just let me know here by posting a comment or email me at Installer@EliteSystemsSolutions.com.

...bringing technology home!

Creating Energy Savings with Installed Technology

Yesterday I participated in a very interesting and insightful meeting sponsored by the Energy Star Group of the EPA and CEA's TechHome® Division.  While this was a great first step in getting the government to regonize that control systems such as lighting control and Home Automation can save energy, I was left with the feeling that they just don't get it!

In follow up emails between some of the most innovated integrators in the trade today, most were still trying to get a handle on the how, why, what factor.  WHat really get me worked up is that unless we, the trade, get behind a directed set of design and installation practices, we will not get the Energy Star folks to understand the process.

Quite frankly, in working with our clients locally developing 50+ housing in the 2,100 square foot range, my design of subsystems, i.e. lighting, audio-video, energy management, security/automation has a great deal of affect on how much energy the house will use.  Then in my installation, planning the proper home runs and wireways to save copper, drilling in the center of studs and keeping main runs to interior walls and using the extra space with the other trades, i.e. plumbing chases so they can be sealed also has a great deal of impact on the overall energy use of the home.  Finally, my choice of subsystem manufacturers and my working with the other trades, i.e. controlled thermostats, load shedding of the water heater during evening hours and while the home is in away mode.  We have found using timers on bath fans instead of switches, occupancy sensors on closet lights and in some hallways, the use of motion detectors provides more saving than the use of so called Energy Star fixtures.  We have changed our design is storage spaces to use a Leviton Compact Fluorescent fixture instead of keyless fixture with a twist in CFL, as they are even more efficient and cost less.

However, yesterday was a good start.  Hopefully over the next few months, we as integrators and with the help of manufacturers can develop a comprehensive design and installation plan that will show the Energy Star group that our Control systems are the most efficient and cost effective way to save energy and lower operating costs for our clients.  What do you think? Please contact me at Installer@EliteSystemsSolutions.com.

RJ, bringing technology home!